FLORIDA GOLF: SPAIN VS FLORIDA


Best places for golf


Orlando is golfi ng nirvana, with about 170 courses — very hot in the summer. On the west coast, there are more than 80 clubs in the Sarasota and Bradenton region. Benefi ting from cooling Atlantic breezes, Jacksonville, Palm Beach and Miami are also outstanding


Number of courses


Course


condition Green fees


Other costs


In a State 10 per cent bigger than England, there are 1,400, of which well over 1,000 are playable by the public


US courses in general, and Florida ones in particular, are some of the most immaculate in the world, with outstanding service.


Anything from $350 (£226) at the top end down to $50 for a reasonable public course. Deals for owners vary, but $3,000 p.a. would be about average


Flights: London-Orlando return, low season £500, high season £750 Cost of living: according to expatistan.com, living costs in Orlando are 17 per cent higher than in Malaga


Recent property


price history


Prices peaked in 2006, then dropped about 50 per cent, bottoming out in December 2011, since when they’ve recovered by about 10 per cent


“I reckon Florida has much more entertainment on off er for the family than Spain.”


Futures trader Andrew Pigney (above) loves Florida. His decision to buy at the Reunion resort in Orlando was a part-lifestyle, part-investment one. “Because of the fl ight times, we get out there maybe four times a year. It’d be crazy to have it empty for six months a year, so in between it’s rented out.” He plays golf, but reckons Florida also has much more entertainment on off er for his family than Spain. Andrew is selling two Orlando properties — a three-bed condo for $260,000 (£168,200) and a fi ve-bedroom mansion for $995,000 (£643,600) — through jerrybarker.com. Why? “I’m building a big family house at Champions Gate, just down the road.”


76 | aplaceinthesun.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148